Game of Chance

ABSTRACT

An embodiment of the invention is a game of chance involving a plurality of traveling animals  10,  each animal having a left foot  12  and a right foot  14,  wherein a result is obtained by a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right feet of at least one animal.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to games of chance. Embodiments of the present invention find application, though not exclusively, in the field of sports betting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Betting and gambling are extremely popular and typically revolve around games of chance and sports results. For example, lotteries involve the generation of random numbers within a defined numerical set and prizes are awarded from a pool of monies collected from ticket sales. In such lotteries a single entry has the same chance of winning as any other single entry and, therefore, no skill is required to play. By comparison, sports betting and betting on the results of horse races or greyhound races may include a measure of skill in determining the likely outcome including knowledge of such factors as the recent form of the individual competitors. As a result some people do not wish to bet on sports and race results because they lack this knowledge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or substantially ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a game of chance involving a plurality of traveling animals, each animal having a left foot and a right foot, wherein a result is obtained by a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right feet of at least one animal.

Preferably, the feet are the left and right feet of a bipedal animal or the left and right front feet of a four-legged animal.

Preferably the result is obtained by determining whether the left or right foot of the animal is at a position forward of, equal to or behind the other foot with respect to a direction in which the animal is traveling.

In one or more embodiments, the result is modified by a determination of which foot is at a position above or below the other foot with respect to the ground below the animal.

In one or more embodiments, the result is modified by a determination of which foot is moving forwards or backwards with respect to the body of the animal and/or the direction in which the animal is traveling.

Preferably, the result is obtained by determining whether the left and right feet are in a relative position selected from the group of possibilities comprising:

left foot in front of right foot;

right foot in front of left foot;

left and right feet aligned in direction of travel, with left foot above right foot;

left and right feet aligned in direction of travel, with right foot above left foot;

left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, with left hoof moving forwards; or

left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, with right hoof moving forwards.

Preferably, a plurality of results are obtained from at least a sub-set of animals competing in a race.

In one or more embodiments, the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet of an animal are measured when that animal reaches a predetermined location on a race course.

In one or more embodiments, the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet of the animals in the subset are measured at the time when a single animal reaches a predetermined location on a race course.

Preferably, the predetermined location is a finishing line of a race course.

In one or more embodiments, a bet is applicable to a specific animal only when that animal reaches the predetermined location.

In one more embodiments, information on the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet of an animal is combined with information on the order in which the animals reach a predetermined location on a race course thereby to obtain a multivariate result.

Preferably, the animals are selected from the group consisting of one or more of horses, camels, dogs and humans.

In one or more embodiments, the animals are horses having feet comprising hooves.

In one or more embodiments the dogs are greyhounds having feet comprising paws.

Preferably one or more animals are marked so as to assist in the determination of their relative positions and/or direction of movement and preferably these markings are detectible by means of an image capture device.

In one or more embodiments, the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet is determined by means of an image formed by an image capture device and a computer system. Preferably, the image is provided as input to the computer system, the computer system being adapted to process the image so as to determine the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet.

Preferably, the game is subject to the placing of bets and preferably, the results of the game form the basis of a lottery upon which bets are placed. In one or more embodiments, bets are placed on a majority result obtained when the individual results from a plurality of animals are combined.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided an electronic gaming machine for processing bets on the results of a race, the race involving a plurality of animals, the electronic gaming machine including:

input means for accepting a plurality of bets from a plurality of users;

input means for accepting the results of the race, the results being derived from a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right feet of at least one animal in the race; and

a processor for determining the winning bets from amongst the plurality of bets placed on the results.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of this application.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of example only, together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a typical sequence of events in a game according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows three side views of a horse running in a race illustrating several possible relative positions of the horse's hooves showing the left hoof forward (A), right hoof forward (B) and left and right hooves aligned in the direction of travel with right hoof above left hoof (C);

FIG. 3 shows a betting card with options for the placement of a plurality of bets on information relating to a plurality of horses;

FIG. 4 shows a betting card with options for the placement of a plurality of bets on multivariate information relating to a plurality of horses;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a gaming system according to one embodiment of the present invention including a computer system linked to an image capture device and a betting/results interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a series of events in a game of chance involving a plurality of animals competing in a race. In the illustrated embodiment these animals are horses racing against each other on a race course as shown in FIG. 2. However, in other embodiments, these may be other animals that have feet, claws, paws and the like such as dogs, camels, humans and the like.

The game begins, as per step 1 of FIG. 1, when bets are placed by a plurality of individuals prior to a race. The race then begins and horses travel along a race course as indicated in step 2 of FIG. 1. Once a horse reaches the predetermined location on the course, which in this embodiment is the race finish line, information is obtained comprising an image of the horse's hooves as per steps 3 and 4 of FIG. 1. Information in relation to all of the horses that cross the finish line is obtained as per step 5 of FIG. 1, at which point the race ends, or the race may otherwise end when any remaining horses that have not yet reached the finish line are removed from the race due to injury or being ‘scratched’ as per step 6. The game can also be structured such that a minimum number of horses are required to reach the finish line and/or information is obtained relating to the horse's hooves from a minimum number of horses in order for the game to be completed, with results and winnings subsequently provided to players. For example, information could be obtained relating to a minimum number of horses such as 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 or more horses. If less than the designated minimum number of horses were to complete a race or information was otherwise not obtained from a minimum number of horses then refunds could be provided.

The results are then analysed to determine the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of each horse as per step 7 of FIG. 1.

A result is obtained by a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right hooves of all or a subset of the horses in the race. In the present embodiment the result is determined having regard to the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the front left and front right feet, i.e., the front pair of feet. However, in other embodiments with a four legged animal the result may be determined having regard to the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the back left and back right feet or both the back pair of feet and the front pair of feet.

Once a horse is running it is very difficult, if not impossible, to predict in advance the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the horse's hooves at any given moment.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the horse's hooves during a horse race is used to obtain a result in a game of chance according to the invention.

As each horse runs forward each of the horse's legs and hooves cycle forwards and backwards with respect to the horse's body in a typical running motion in which the position and/or direction of movement of each of the hooves relative to each other is constantly changing. At a predetermined moment in time when a horse is running and where a first hoof is further ahead of a second hoof with respect to the direction in which the horse is travelling, then, for the purposes of the invention, the first hoof is considered to be in front of the second hoof and the first hoof is selected for the result. For example, FIG. 2A shows a picture of a horse 10 running forwards where the left hoof 12 is further forward (in front) of the right hoof 14 with respect to the direction in which the horse is traveling and so the left hoof is selected for the result. Conversely the right hoof 14 may be in front of the left hoof 12 as shown in FIG. 2B in which case the right hoof is selected for the result.

Where neither front hoof is in a position forward of the other (i.e, the hooves are aligned in a horizontal aspect) then the result may be determined by a secondary consideration of the height of each hoof above the ground 16, or with respect to the vertical aspect. Accordingly, where both the left and right hooves are aligned in the direction of travel (the horizontal aspect) then one of the hooves may still be in a position which is higher above the ground than the other hoof (in the vertical aspect) in which case the higher hoof is selected for the result. This is exemplified in FIG. 2C which illustrates that the hooves are aligned horizontally in the direction of travel, i.e., the direction in which the horse is traveling, but the right hoof 14 is higher above the ground than the left hoof 12 and so the right hoof is selected for the result.

In a rare situation where the hooves of the horse are aligned in both the horizontal and vertical aspects, the hoof or leg that is in the process of moving forwards is chosen for the result. This relies on the direction in which the legs and hooves are moving at the point where the hooves are otherwise aligned. At this time both hooves are moving in opposite directions with respect to the body of the horse and/or the direction in which the horse is traveling, i.e., one hoof is moving forwards and one hoof is moving backwards.

Accordingly, if the front hooves of the horse are considered at any particular moment while the horse is running, then the relative positions of the hooves will fall into one of a group of possibilities being:

1) left hoof in front of right hoof as shown in FIG. 2A;

2) right hoof in front of left hoof as shown in FIG. 2B;

3) left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel, with left hoof above right hoof;

4) left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel, with right hoof above left hoof as shown in FIG. 2C;

5) left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, with left hoof moving forwards; or

6) left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, with right hoof moving forwards.

For simplicity, and for the purposes of placing bets, it is preferable to group these possible results into two categories, that is, “left hoof (L)” or “right hoof (R)”. Accordingly, the result for a given horse would be “left hoof (L)” if the left hoof were ahead of the right hoof (as per option 1 above) or if the left and right hooves were aligned in direction of travel, but with left hoof above right hoof (option 3) or where both left and right hooves are aligned in the direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, where the left hoof is moving forwards (option 5). Accordingly, the result for a given horse would be determined as “right hoof (R)” if the hooves of the horse were determined to fall into either of possibilities 2, 4 or 6 above.

Accordingly, bets are placed in anticipation of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right front hooves of some or all of the horses that eventually reach the race finish line. Such bets may be placed using the betting card shown in FIG. 3 which may allow bets to be placed on the total number of horses or upon a subset of the horses expected to run in the race. A player bets on whether the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of a given horse will be in either the “left hoof” or “right hoof” category i.e., L or R respectively as indicated in box 18 of FIG. 3. In this regard, the player does not have to place a bet directed towards any particular horse prior to the race, rather the player makes a prediction on the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves for whichever horses cross the finish line, i.e., the player bets on the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of whichever horses finish the race in 1^(st), 2^(nd), 3^(rd), and 4^(th) place etc. This is indicated in box 18 of FIG. 3 and termed as “Horse number at past post finish” which refers to the placing of the horse in the race, i.e., 1^(st), 2^(nd), 3^(rd) and 4 ^(th) place etc and not to any number applied to the horse before the race such as the number worn by the horse. Accordingly, in this embodiment, a bet is applied to a specific horse only when that horse reaches the race finish line.

Advantageously, this overcomes or ameliorates problems that occur with classic betting where the cancellation (scratching) of a horse or the failure of a horse to finish the race could require that bets be refunded to players. By comparison, the present game can be played such that players can place bets on all or a sub-set of the horses which cross the finish line, such that any horses which are scratched or do not finish are simply ignored and the betting card is automatically adjusted. For example, in a race with 20 horses, a betting card can be provided as per FIG. 3, where players bet only on the first 16 horses that cross the race finish line such that if up to four horses are scratched or do not finish the race then this would have no effect on the betting or results process.

Additionally the player may also bet on a majority result obtained when the individual results from a plurality of animals are combined as indicated in boxes 20, 22 and 24 of the betting card of FIG. 3. In the present embodiment, a user may bet on whether the majority of horses will finish the race with their hooves in either the left or the right category as shown in boxes 20 and 22 respectively. A third option (“Even”), as shown in box 24, allows for bets to be placed on the occurrence where the number of horses which finish the race with their hooves in the left category is equal to the number of horses that finish with their hooves in the right category.

Furthermore, bets may be placed in a pools type lottery which depends on the results from multiple horses from each of a plurality of races held at one or more race venues. In such case a bet may be placed on a prediction of whether the majority of horses in each individual race will have their hooves in a left or right category or an even field at the finish.

The bets may be placed as either “Left”, “Right” or “Even”, i.e., L, R or E for each race and multiple race results used to produce a lottery result. For example, the lottery style result for a 10 race lottery might be L, L, R, E, L, R, R, R, L, R, L.

Information on the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right front hooves of at least one of the horses is obtained at the moment when that horse reaches a predetermined location on the race course and in the present embodiment the predetermined location is the race finish line. However, in other embodiments, a predetermined location may be a halfway mark or both a halfway mark and the race finish line may be used. In a further embodiment, information on the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right front hooves of all the horses may be obtained at the moment when a first horse reaches the predetermined location.

Information relating to the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of each horse is initially obtained using an image capture device such as a camera to capture an image of the horse and the front legs of the horse. Advantageously, the device is a high speed motion video capture device capable of capturing a large number of images in a short space of time with minimal blurring of images. One or, more preferably, several such devices are employed to capture images of the horse's hooves from a variety of angles as each horse reaches the predetermined location.

In the present embodiment, the horse's hooves are not marked. However, in other embodiments the hooves may be marked so as to assist in the determination of their relative positions and/or direction of movement. Such marking may comprise an applied material which alters the colour and/or reflectivity of the hooves to simplify visual recognition by an image capture device.

When one or more images of the horse's hooves have been captured, these images are examined to determine the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves for each horse. Examination of the images may be carried out manually where a person views the images and makes a subjective determination. However, in the present embodiment, the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of each horse are determined by means of an image formed by an image capture device and a computer system which is adapted to process the image so as to determine the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves. The computer system is adapted to process this information combined with information on the known or detected direction of travel of the horse and the position and/or directional movement of the hooves with respect to the horizontal and vertical aspects.

While it is preferable to utilise an automated system for determining the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves, it may still be necessary for the results to be checked by a human operator as a safeguard against a mistaken result. Furthermore there may occur situations in which it is impossible to determine the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of a horse because of the view of the hooves is somewhat obscured by another horse when the relevant images are considered or processed. In such cases, where a determination cannot be made, then it may be necessary to disregard the results from that horse.

Once the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of each horse has been determined or otherwise disregarded, then the results from the race can be published and winnings paid to those users who have made a winning bet as indicated in step 8 of FIG. 1.

Given that the results relating to the hooves of each horse fall into one of two possible categories (left or right, represented as L or R), bets may be placed on the race in the manner of a lottery when the results from a number of horses are considered together. In this respect it is particularly significant that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to predict in advance the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of a running horse at any given moment such that the chances for a particular result are near or essentially random. Accordingly, the results are generated in a lottery-style random number scenario and may thus form the basis for a lottery. Additionally, the random nature of the results means that the game is equally attractive to players whether or not they have any knowledge of the form of the particular horses in the race.

A second example betting ticket is illustrated in FIG. 4 which shows that bets may be placed on the order in which a pre-selected horse will finish the race (e.g., 1^(st), 2^(nd), 3^(rd) or 4^(th) etc) as shown in box 26 of FIG. 4, and that these results may be combined with the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the hooves of a pre-selected horse when that horse crosses the race finishing line, as per box 28 of FIG. 4, to provide a multivariate result. This adds another layer of possibilities onto the traditional practice of simply betting on which horses will finish in the top four or so places. Accordingly, where a bet is successful in correctly predicting both the relative positions and/or direction of movement of a preselected horse's hooves and the placing of that horse in the race, then the return to the player would be increased in accordance with the typical odds-based mathematics that is known to those skilled in the art. In this embodiment the “Horse Number” shown in the first column of the betting ticket of FIG. 4 relates to a number used to identify a specific horse prior to the commencement of a race, for example a number worn by the horse. Given that this form of the game requires that bets be placed on pre-selected horses prior to the race then in the case of a scratching or failure of a horse to finish the race then it may be necessary to provide a refund to persons who had placed a bet. This once again emhpasises one of the advantages of the embodiment illustrated by the betting card of FIG. 3 described above where the scratching of one or a small number of horses or their failure to finish the race has little if any effect on the betting or results process or where these processes can be adjusted to accommodate such events.

Referring to FIG. 5, the invention further relates to an electronic gaming machine for processing bets on the results of the above-described game of chance. The electronic gaming machine includes:

input means 30 for accepting a plurality of bets from a plurality of users;

input means 32 for accepting the results of the race, the results being derived from a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right feet of at least one animal in the race; and

a processor 34 for determining the winning bets from amongst the plurality of bets placed on the results.

The input means for accepting a plurality of bets may take the form of a card reader which can accept betting information from a betting card such as that shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. Alternatively an operator may manually enter betting information into a terminal. The machine may optionally include results output means 36 for displaying the race results and/or informing the users of the winning bets in order for winnings to be claimed.

Embodiments of the present invention may be applied to many forms of animal racing, including forms in which the animals move by means of walking, running, trotting, cantering, galloping and the like.

It will be appreciated that the game of chance and the gathering of information involved in the practice of embodiments of the present invention do not typically entail any interference with the normal running of a horse racing event. That is, a horse racing event may be run in a normal manner, with one or more embodiments of the present invention being offered in addition to, or as an alternative to, standard horse race betting systems.

While a number of preferred embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. 

1. A game of chance involving a plurality of traveling animals, each animal having a left foot and a right foot, wherein a result is obtained by a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right feet of at least one animal.
 2. A game according to claim 1 wherein said feet are the left and right feet of a bipedal animal or the left and right front feet of a four-legged animal.
 3. A game according to claim 1 wherein the result is obtained by determining whether the left or right foot of the animal is at a position forward of, equal to or behind the other foot with respect to a direction in which the animal is traveling.
 4. A game according to claim 3 wherein the “equal to” result is modified by a determination of which foot is at a position above or below the other foot with respect to the ground below the animal.
 5. A game according to claim 4 wherein the result is further modified by a determination of which foot is moving forwards or backwards with respect to the body of the animal and/or the direction in which the animal is traveling.
 6. A game according to claim 5 wherein the result is obtained by determining whether the left and right feet are in a relative position selected from the group of possibilities comprising: left foot in front of right foot; right foot in front of left foot; left and right feet aligned in direction of travel, with left foot above right foot; left and right feet aligned in direction of travel, with right foot above left foot; left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, with left hoof moving forwards; or left and right hooves aligned in direction of travel with neither hoof above the other, with right hoof moving forwards.
 7. A game according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of results are obtained from at least a sub-set of animals competing in a race.
 8. A game according claim 1 wherein the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet of an animal are measured when that animal reaches a predetermined location on a race course.
 9. A game according to claim 7 wherein the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet of the animals in said subset are measured at the time when a single animal reaches a predetermined location on a race course.
 10. A game according to claim 8 wherein said predetermined location is a finishing line of a race course.
 11. A game according to claim 1 wherein a bet is applicable to a specific animal only when that animal reaches a predetermined location.
 12. A game according to claim 1 wherein information on the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the feet of an animal is combined with information on the order in which the animals reach a predetermined location on a race course thereby to obtain a multivariate result.
 13. A game according to claim 1 wherein the animals are selected from the group consisting of one or more of horses, camels, dogs and humans.
 14. A game according to claim 13 wherein said animals are horses having feet comprising hooves.
 15. A game according to claim 13 wherein said dogs are greyhounds having feet comprising paws.
 16. A game according to claim 1 wherein the feet of one or more animals are marked so as to assist in the determination of their relative positions and/or direction of movement.
 17. A game according to claim 16 wherein said markings are detectible by means of an image formed by an image capture device.
 18. A game according to claim 1 wherein the relative positions and/or direction of movement of said feet is determined by means of an image formed by an image capture device and a computer system.
 19. A game according to claim 18 wherein the image is provided as input to said computer system, said computer system being adapted to process said image so as to determine the relative positions and/or direction of movement of said feet.
 20. A game according to claim 1 wherein the game is subject to the placing of bets.
 21. A game according to claim 20 wherein bets are placed on a majority result obtained when the individual results from a plurality of animals are combined.
 22. A game according to claim 1 wherein the results of said game form the basis of a lottery upon which bets are placed.
 23. An electronic gaming machine for processing bets on the results of a race, said race involving a plurality of animals, the electronic gaming machine including: input means for accepting a plurality of bets from a plurality of users; input means for accepting the results of the race, the results being derived from a determination of the relative positions and/or direction of movement of the left and right feet of at least one animal in the race; and a processor for determining the winning bets from amongst the plurality of bets placed on the results. 